#mugabe under spot light

ALL eyes are on President Robert Mugabe as his leadership faces a stern test in the wake of an expose` on corruption in State-owned entities that requires a strategic and tactical approach from the highest office in the land, analysts said this week. Zimbabwe has in the past few weeks awoken to a series of reports exposing the rot at public institutions, among them the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and the Premier Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) where executives are taking home obscene salaries.

While the parent ministries under which ZBC and PSMAS fall have reacted by instituting several measures to correct the situation, analysts are of the view that President Mugabe, as the chief executive of the Republic, should lead these efforts to exorcise rampant corruption in State entities. President Mugabe has so far directed that Misheck Sibanda, the secretary to the President and Cabinet, handles this matter and ensures the obscene salaries and jaw-dropping perks are corrected.

But other than directing parastatals and other State enterprises to submit their salary structures to the Office of the President and Cabinet, no action has yet been taken against those fingered beyond their removal from boards or suspension and retirement. In fact, no public statement as of yet has come from the President to provide the necessary support to those who are working to address these issues and send a strong message to those who think they are politically connected and untouchable.

Analysts said President Mugabe should do more to give policy direction on this explosive issue, including intervening directly to restore public confidence in the governance system. They said speed in addressing these issues would go a long way in addressing public confidence and ensuring that parastatals fully play their role in national economic development. Media Centre director, Earnest Mudzengi, said the environment was fast becoming dysfunctional, adding that the President should be more visible in dealing with the crisis.

“Maybe he (the President) thinks it’s not the right time to comment or act. He may want to act when there is tangible evidence of abuse of State funds,” said Mudzengi. “We have not yet seen a deepening crisis so the President may be expecting the State systems to act,” he added. Mudzengi said moral decadence was to blame for the corruption and salary problems that have since been exposed. This is at a time when company closures and a political impasse pervade Zimbabwe. All economic indicators point to a country on a precipice. From agriculture to aviation, from milling to transport, light to heavy industries, the economy is teetering on the edge.

A parliamentary committee report last week warned of more company closures while a survey by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries late last year said capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector dropped by 5,3 percentage points to 39,6 percent in 2013, compared to 44,9 percent in 2012, a sure sign that industry is struggling.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change last week said Zimbabwe requires over US$4 billion to kick start key sectors of the stuttering economy with the party’s secretary general and former finance minister saying 84 percent of the formal sector has collapsed. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa recently pointed to a liquidity crunch biting Zimbabwe while a civil servants salary bill, gorging 73 percent of government income, saddling the economy blights prospects of recovery.
Charity Manyeruke argues that the President had “done a lot” but society must shoulder some responsibility.

“The crisis especially around corruption shows that our social fabric is fundamentally wrong. These situations should have been restrained by the ethics that need not be breached,” said Manyeruke. She argued that over concentration on political matters exposed society to other threats from corruption, itself a sign of decay of moral fiber.

“We concentrated so much on political issues which we did not realize that there are inexplicable linked to the fabric of society,” she added.
It has been suggested that the President should put in place a commission of inquiry across all parastatals and ensure that the issues that might arise are addressed in an impartial manner and that recommendations can be implemented across the whole entities. The commission of inquiry would go beyond the issue of salaries to look into other issues such as procurement and address the challenges in a holistic manner. – Own Correspondent

COMMENTS

How would one act if they were the president upon such huge matters of moral decadence, when it’s everywhere around you. If he is to act ever, then his actions would affect those closest to him. His delay in commenting upon it is tactical I believe.

The saying “Follow the Leader” runs true for our clowns. A mob of illegal worthless useless heartless soulless grubs who are blind to other peoples suffering. Their Chinese so called friends should hang them and then eat them.

The only sensible action to be taken by this Administration is resign. There is no way they can correct their own ills. It is easy to say this and we clearly know the are not going to resign. The People of Zimbabwe must act to stop the rot once and for all. Rise up Zimbabwe and accept no nonsense.

Corruption , corrupt Mugabe and his friends , shoot them to kill . Nonsense , our own black people destroying us , destroying what was the best product of the world , Mugabe and your thugs , Smith was far much better than you .

Who is this Manyeruke who says Mugabe has done a lot. Please come clean and tell us what lot has Mugabe DONE? Besides pardoning Fredrik Shava and others? Mugabe will not act because he is part of the problem. Any commission of enquiry will be used as a tool to exonerate the thieves because it will be Zanu functioneries investigating Zanu functioneries and the result you can guess. Mugabe does not appoint non-zanu individuals to any state positions or functions no matter how brilliant one is. That’s why non zanu people are not buried at the heroes acre. The phylosophy is non-zanu people are not Zimbabweans.

We do not need any comment from mugabe, for the past 34yrs he has been delivering powerful speeches and his followers and at times, his enemies have been applauding him, but where are we today? We need an action man at the summit of the height. We need someone who is young in both flesh and brains. Mugabe should be at home resting and enjoying what he has looted over the years. He has never acted on corruption, and what makes you think he will do so now. Look at Mutasa he is quick to defend his geriatric boss as if he has never put a foot wrong in his 34 year rule. Surely is it healthy for an individual to rule for this long? Corruption is now rampant because of his long rule, come on wake up mugabe and smell the coffee